Rusty Underside

[Dale & Julie]

I was wondering if anyone else has had this experience. We brought our new 08 Rockwood 8315SS home Saturday before last. I wasn't smart enough to crawl around under the thing on the dealers lot, but I did when I got home. Most of the metal - galvanized screws, bolts, nuts, stab jacks, including the black pipe for the gas line look they're in a fairly advanced state of corrosion. The gas line is just surface rust, and I know metal gets rusty over time, but for a brand new unit (manufactured Jan 08) that had only been on the dealers lot for about 3-1/2 months, it looks pretty bad. My suspicion is it either got in high water somewhere (can't find any sign of water on the inside) or ran down some icy, salty roads during delivery to the dealers lot.

So, my questions are for all you experts out there, is this normal, to some degree? Should I make a big deal out it at with the dealer? What about my brake assemblies? The thing brakes perfectly, but I haven'l pulled a wheel off to see what's inside? I can shoot slide lube or WD40 on top of everything to slow it down, but I don't know if I should be worrying or not.

I haven't taken pix yet, I'll probably do that when I get home and try and post them later.

Thanks in advance

Dale

[Dale & Julie]

Well, here are a few of the pix I took. It looks like I had quite a few views on this post but no replies so far. Any ideas or advice would be appreciated. I'm sending a certified letter with pix to Forest River and my dealer just to CMA.

Thanks

[powerboatr]

my cast iron gas lines are three years old and are still BLACK, and we have been down some pretty orange nasty roads, with salt laden dirt
i would certainly be following up
that gas line is pretty rusted.

[MRimmer]

Our Flagstaff is 2004 and NOTHING like that.

We have no visible rust on ours underside components as of two weeks ago when I was under it.


Mike

[davenrobin]

For a 2008, that is pretty excessive. Ours has no rust issues and it was an early build in the 2008 run. We can verify that it was the same TT that we looked at in Oct 2007 and bought in March 2008. Good luck.

[Bama Rambler]

I'd definitely send those pics to FR and the dealer. That's some pretty severe rusting for that new a unit. I with you on thinking it crossed some salt covered roads on the trip to the dealer. I'd at very least have them wash the underside and apply some naval jelly or blackjack (rust sealing coating) to the rusted areas.

[aintgotnun]

wow. a picture speaks a 1000 words..........

That is extreme. Looks like they started pulling metal and pipe from the bottom of the pile or stuff that has been sitting in the yard for a few years. ALL that metal should have a coat of black paint on it with NO rust. ESPECIALLY the gas pipe.

become the squeaky wheel with Forest River on this. Stay on 'em till something gets done. That is unaccecptable.

[Crossfire]

I have had motorhomes that had similiar rust issues. If the trailer sits or has been sitting in grass or dirt; moisture forms on the underside and any metal that doesn't have a coat of paint will rust quickly. Your pics look like it's mostly surface rust. When I buy a new unit I take a wire brush to the underside ; including springs; bolts; etc. If any paint is loose or there is a coat of dirt it breaks it loose. I buy some black paint (Dollar Store for a buck) and paint all the bare metal and areas that are subject to wet roads. The secret here is to store your trailer on a vapor barrier. This can be a sheet of plastic; an old carpet etc. This doewn't have to be done when camping; just when it sits around for weeks. The winter months are especially important as the frost will create condensation on the undercarriage and it will rust in a few months.

Try not to store your trailer on grass or cement during the winter unless you have a vapor barrier under it. I have done this with all my motorhomes for the past 15 years; and, after my initial cleaning and painting have never had the rust issue again.

[acadianbob]

Not a hint of rust on our Surveyor.

[Dale & Julie]

Thanks for all the comments folks. I have sent a certified letter with about 13 pix to FR and my dealer, just to get documented. I like the vapor barrier idea, even though we don't get a lot of frost here in central Texas, we do get some and we get a lot of dew. I'll see what I hear from FR and go from there. Thanks again for all the comments and good advice.

By the by, we had the trailer out for it's maiden voyage end of week before last and it was an absolute pleasure to pull and live in. We're new to this lifestyle, but I can already see how much we're going to live it.

[aintgotnun]

Originally Posted by Dale & Julie

By the by, we had the trailer out for it's maiden voyage end of week before last and it was an absolute pleasure to pull and live in. We're new to this lifestyle, but I can already see how much we're going to live it.

Great!!

[Dale & Julie]

I actually meant "love it" but for once my fat fingers almost made sense.

Alreadt have reservations at Lost Maples for the end of October...can't wait!

[Blind Dr]

Here, try this:

Becky Miller
Phone: 260 593 0023
Fax: 260 593 2692
Email bmiller@forestriverinc.com
West Coast Cherokee Warranty Representative

Give her hell! I am fighting with them as well.